The Hadassah Foundation is committed to ongoing learning about the field of gender equity, the needs of women and girls in Israel and the United States, and the best practices in philanthropy. And we are committed to sharing what we learn in order to strengthen and grow the ecosystem of feminist organizations. As part of this work, we have curated several recent news articles that are relevant to the work we do.
Below are some of the most interesting recent articles about noteworthy Jewish women, current and past Hadassah Foundation grant recipients, and ongoing issues affecting women in the United States. Please note that the Hadassah Foundation does not endorse every view expressed in the articles below.
She Revolutionized the World for LGBTQ Jews, and Now She’s Ready for a New Challenge
The Forward, June 27
For 24 years, Idit Klein served as CEO of the LGBTQ equality group (and past grant recipient of the Hadassah Foundation) Keshet, growing the organization from a fledging group with a $42,000 budget to a $6.5 million juggernaut with a team of 35 and an active presence in six major cities. As she prepares to step down, Klein reflects on her legacy and on the current challenges LGBTQ Jews face.
Jewish Continuity Requires More Than Engagement — It Requires Safety
eJewish Philanthropy, June 24
Keshet Starr and Shoshanna Frydman of Shalom Task Force, a past grant recipient of the Hadassah Foundation, make the case for continuing to invest in stopping family violence in the Jewish community. “In this moment of war in Israel, rising antisemitism in the United States and the evergreen challenges of engaging future generations in Jewish life, it’s easy to push issues like family violence off to the side to address once the crisis passes,” they write. “However, in our work we have found that what happens to families and relationships in crisis impacts Jewish communal life — and future Jewish engagement — more profoundly than any of us realize.”
Navigating the Aftermath of October 7th: A Compilation of Perspectives
jGirls+ Magazine, June 23
In an essay contest run in partnership with Hadassah Magazine, Hadassah Foundation grant recipient jGirls+ Magazine asked teen writers, “How has your experience since October 7th changed the way you think about and express your Jewish identity? How has this past year shaped your view of the future and where you are headed?” In addition to publishing the winning essay, jGirls+ compiles the most striking excerpts from the many submissions it received, showcasing a diversity of perspectives and lived experiences.
(Photo by Naomi Shi via Pexels)
Child Care Is Now Rivaling Home Costs
The 19th, June 23
Child Care Aware, a national advocacy group, reports that the average annual cost of child care in the U.S. has increased by 29 percent since 2020, outpacing inflation and swallowing ever-larger portions of families’ income. This article looks at why child care is so expensive and the federal government’s long history of resistance to subsidizing it.
Trump Is Gutting Healthcare—But Women’s Health Was Already Disastrously Underfunded
Ms. Magazine, June 12
In the news now thanks to Trump administration cuts, women’s health care has been under increasing attack for decades, according to this leading feminist magazine, which calls on women to step up advocacy at all levels. “Even states like New York, often perceived as a beacon of women’s healthcare, are backsliding, increasingly unable to address women’s health challenges adequately. Indeed, the lack of funding and legislative support isn’t limited to rural areas or red states; it is everywhere.”
Holding the Broken Pieces: Stacey Aviva Clark on Storytelling and Solidarity
KGNU: Storytellers of Color, June 13
In this podcast, Hadassah Foundation board member Stacey Aviva Clark reflects on what it means “to navigate the world as a Black Jewish woman, especially at a time when identity, grief, and belonging feel more fragile and more necessary than ever.” A writer, Jewish educator, and community builder, Clark serves as Director of Education and Community Engagement for the Jewish Federations of North America’s Jewish Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Initiative.
Member Survey Snapshot: Leading to Meet the Moment
Women Moving Millions, May 1
This network of gender equity funders surveyed its members to find out how they are responding to “increasing restrictions on freedom of expression, growing political and economic polarization, and deepening threats to the very systems that uphold human rights and gender equity.” Seventy-four percent are “deeply worried” about how the current political climate is impacting their grantees, and 72 percent report that recent executive orders and policies have impacted their philanthropy.
Jews support reproductive rights, not activists who demonize us
eJewish Philanthropy, March 15
Guila Franklin Siegel, chief operating officer of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, laments how antisemitism in the reproductive rights community, particularly in the Washington area, continues to alienate Jewish women donors.